


After Twilight

by LuthienLuinwe



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, Forced Marriage, Gerudo Culture, Politics, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rebuilding, Royal life, Serious Injuries
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-02-09 22:36:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18647482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuthienLuinwe/pseuds/LuthienLuinwe
Summary: Re-write of the fic of the same title. Post-Twilight Princess. The crisis has ended, and peace has been restored to the land of Hyrule. However, all is not well. Recovering from the loss of Midna, learning to cope with court life, and handling unrest in Hyrule, Link struggles in his path. He wanted to return home, but was unsure he could. After all, sometimes it is easier to win the war than to win the peace.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! After careful thought and consideration, I have decided to completely rewrite this story. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much.

It had all happened so suddenly, though Link was certain he would remember the action in slow motion as time went on. The fight had been grueling. The rain bared down, making it damn near impossible to see. The blade that had once felt so light, so free in his hand was quickly becoming unbearably heavy. His energy was depleting. Every moment he made from then on had to be deliberate. If he fell, he was certain he would not rise again.

Cuts and scrapes grazed his exposed skin, reminders that he had been careless. Worse, that he had been arrogant. The sages had warned of Ganondorf's strength, his power. And Link had already grown weary from fighting the puppet, the beast, and chasing the man himself down on horseback. Surely the man must have been tiring as well. Were they not both made of flesh and blood? Were they not both mortal?

It had seemed a stroke of luck when his blade pierced through the Demon King's armor, when it had plunged deep into his heart. He should have felt liberated. He should have felt relief. And yet all he could feel was ill. Killing monsters had been one thing. They existed in this world to cause pain and suffering, so the legends went. But to kill a man? A man who was living and breathing, no matter how cruel of a man he may have been? It seemed he was not nearly as prepared for that as he would have liked himself to be.

Perhaps it would have been simpler if Ganondorf had died immediately. Then, at least, Link could wipe the blood from his blade and walk away. But the man had smirked, and his cruel, golden eyes had lowered to meet the Hero's. "Do not think this ends here," he said, voice stronger than it had any right to be, even as his lifeblood drained from his body. "The history of Light and Shadow will be written in blood."

Link had watched as the man who dared call himself King died. He had stood and looked upon him as the light drained from his eyes, as his breathing grew ragged and eventually stopped. The Demon King was no more, and Hyrule was sure to enter a time of peace and tranquility, the likes of which it had not seen in years. The people could sleep soundly in their beds knowing they were safe, that their children would have a future to look forward to.

It should have been easy to walk away, to write it off as a bad memory, one he would need never relive.

Then why was it so hard?

"Link," a voice said from behind him, the words not quite registering in his mind. He took a breath and looked away from the dead man, turning to face the woman who had helped. The woman who had placed him in this position to begin with...

Zelda's features were wrought with worry. Her eyebrows were furrowed, her lips pressed into a tight line, and for a moment, Link could not fathom why.

He followed her gaze downward, paling at the sight. A hole had been torn through his tunic, his chest bleeding freely, crimson red staining the Hero's green. "You're hurt."

He shook his head, not wishing to hear it. The wound was not fatal, at least as far as he could tell. He had been injured far more severely fighting the dragon in the sky. He had been injured far more severely fighting the madman Zant. And yet, he still survived.

Unlike Midna. Midna, who had been by his side from the beginning of this twisted journey. Midna, whom he had hated with every fiber in his being. Midna, whom he had grown to love far more than words could possibly describe.

The goddesses were truly cruel to place her in his life only to take her from him so suddenly, so violently.

He clutched the wound with his sword hand. The blade would have to wait to be removed. He shut his eyes and took a breath before re-opening them, frowning at something he saw in the distance. A woman's form, collapsed onto the ground, though he had been all but certain he, Zelda, and the demon king had been alone.

"Link," Zelda reached to grab his arm, but he had moved past her. His injuries could wait. It was possible the woman in the distance could not.

He ran to her side, grateful for whatever force it was keeping him standing, keeping him moving and breathing and thinking and feeling.

At first, he did not believe what his eyes showed him to be true. It must have been the madness that came with battle or with loss of blood. But he knew the cloak that was draped over the woman. He recognized the symbols adorning it to have come from the Realm of Twilight.

But it was not possible.

Midna was dead.

And must as he wished it possible, the dead did not return to life.

And yet...

He watched as she turned to face him, as she rose to her feet. How different this form, with her long, flaming hair, her soft, feminine features, the graceful way she moved, was from the imp he had fought alongside, who had been with him from the start. Who had gotten them into this mess... "What?" she asked, a smile gracing her features. And with her voice, her melodic, otherworldly voice he would recognize in any circumstances, all doubt had been washed away from his mind. Midna was alive. Midna was returned to her rightful form. The endless months of fighting and traveling and near-death experiences had not been for naught. "Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?"

He wanted to run to embrace her, to hug her tightly and never let go, to ensure that no one would ever separate them again. But exhaustion had crept up on him and latched onto him and refused to let go. Every breath was labored. Dark spots clouded his vision and refused to be blinked away.

 And everything faded to black.


	2. Chapter 2

The tales of fever dreams, as it turned out, were true, not that Link had ever particularly doubted it. His own mother had been taken by a fever when he had been but a boy. He was no stranger to the dangers of infected wounds or severe illness. He had just never thought it would happen to him.

He had taken great care during his journey and battles to ensure any and all wounds were properly treated and looked after, and with the assistance of Midna and a few potions here and there, he considered himself lucky to have nothing more serious than the occasional scar.

For over half a fortnight was he plagued with fever, and with the fever and drugged sleep, the nightmares that came alongside.

For days, he could not distinguish between reality and dream. In one moment, he would find himself lying on something soft, surrounded by furs and blankets. In the next, he would find himself on the battlefield, exhausted and bloodstained and wishing for things to end, one way or another, just so he could find some rest.

_ The history of light and shadow shall be written in blood… _

“Hard fall…”

“Deep wound…”

“Fortunate to be alive…”

_ Oh Hero, chosen by the Gods… _

His first moments of complete clarity had been quick. His eyes had snapped open, and he had glanced around the room in a moment of panic, not knowing where he was or who he was with.

One moment, he had been in Lanayru’s sacred spring. He had freed the province of the Twilight that had encaptured it. He had learned of the creation of the lands at the hands of the Golden Goddesses and the darkness brought upon the world by the Interlopers. He had understood his quest and had been prepared to face his destiny when he had come face to face with the man who dared call himself King.

He had stepped forward, ready to draw his weapon and fight when the cavern had been filled with blinding light and everything had fallen dark…

“Link,” a familiar voice said, and he felt a hand press down on his shoulder. He turned his attention to the woman at his bedside and tried to remain focused on her and her alone. Zant was dead. Ganondorf was dead. The realm had been returned to a state of peace, and she had been restored to her rightful form, the form he still did not completely recognize, but hoped that, with time, he would.

He had opened his mouth to speak, to say something, anything… But exhaustion pulled at his body, and he had surrendered to sleep once more, this time, blessedly, without dreams.

The next time he had awoken, he was not quite as startled. Memories began to flood back to him. An enclosed battlefield. An ancient adversary who wanted Link dead. A sword plunged through the Demon King’s heart…

This time it was not Midna who sat at his bedside, but rather the Princess Zelda herself, clothed in a simple, pale pink gown, the royal crest embroidered upon it. From the window on the wall, he could see the afternoon sun, and he wondered how long he had been asleep and where Midna had gone.

“How are you feeling?” Her Grace asked and took his hand in her own, squeezing it with affection. 

How was he feeling? 

He was unsure.

He glanced down at his torso, bare save for the bandages wrapped around his abdomen. It was improper, she being in this room alone with him in this state, but he dare not raise his concerns. Besides. What did he know of propriety? It was not his concern nor his problem.

“Link?” she pressed when he gave no response, and he glanced to meet her gaze. The words he would have liked to use to describe just how he was feeling were not entirely appropriate for a lady’s ears.

He would have liked to have said something witty. Perhaps a laugh or two would distract him from the pain. But he was exhausted to the bone and every last inch of him was screaming in pain. “Hurts,” he choked out, any and all eloquence lost from him.

“I shall send for a potion,” Zelda promised, squeezing his hand once more. “Are you able to move?”

Move? 

How was he to move when he could barely keep awake? Still. He had been worse of than this, and then he had only Midna and his few supplies to help him through. He had taken a nasty fall when fighting the dragon Argorok and had been lucky to survive. He still bore scars on his arm from where the re-animated Stallord had gotten a lucky swipe against his arm…

He would not be made to appear weak in front of the ruler of his country.

He took a deep breath and attempted to move to a sitting position, but the motion tugged at the wound, and he could not keep from crying out in pain, thoroughly humiliated as Her Grace gently pushed him back against the bed.

He shut his eyes, but only for a moment, in an attempt to regain the composure he had lost. He opened them slowly and tilted his head to look upon the princess. “The children?” he asked, despising the weakness he heard in his tone.

“Renado saw them return safely to Ordon,” Zelda assured, and Link nodded. There had been a time he had thought them dead. He had been so relieved to find them alive again, if trapped in spirit form until the Light could be returned to Kakariko Village. And now, knowing they had been returned home to their parents who had missed them dearly, he could finally enjoy a sense of peace.

“My friends?”

“Alive and well.”

“Midna?”

“She is well,” Zelda answered. “Though it was an act of the Goddesses above to get her to leave your side to rest. We are fortunate to have her magic on our side. We fear you may have been lost without it.”

Link nodded once more and closed his eyes. The thought of sleep was comforting, the thought of sleep with peace that his friends were all well, even more so. “Sleep, Link,” Zelda spoke softly.

And for once, sleep came with ease.

It was Midna who was seated beside him when next he woke. “You are awake,” she smiled, and Link could not help but to return it. Her emotions always had been contagious, not that he had ever minded. Her drive to regain her true form and to regain her kingdom had fed his own determination. Her anger toward Zant had made it easier to fight against him, even when he had grown so weary that yielding and accepting his fate had seemed a viable option. Her anger, her drive, her happiness, her laugh, all infectious

“Thanks to you,” he spoke, voice stronger than it had been the last time. “You stayed.”

He thought he saw something flash on her face, though he could not quite place what it was. Hesitation? But why? She had stayed behind. It had not been a question. It had been a fact. She was free to return home and rule over her people, as was her duty and her right, and she had stayed.

“I…” she started to speak, but appeared unable to finish her thought. He watched as she closed her eyes and took a breath before opening them again. “I wanted to ensure you would recover.”

“But?” Link pressed, hearing the words though she had not spoken it.

“But I must return home,” she answered, placing her hands over his. They were colder than Link had remembered, but also more kind. “It does not bode well for us to stay in the Light.”

He knew she was right, as much as he loathed to admit it. Her life was in the Twilight Realm. Her people, her friends… She had enlisted him to help her, and he had succeeded, and now? Now they would part ways.

It was the only way this could have ended.

He had been a fool for ever entertaining other outcomes.

“I wish for you to be with me,” Midna continued. “When I return.”

It was a simple request. And a reasonable one. They had spent months together. They had endured horrors that no person in existence should have. It was only right they see each other through the end.

And aside from that, it would not be farewell. Not permanently. Link knew the way through the desert and toward the Mirror of Twilight. She would never be more than a few days’ travel away.

“I would not be anywhere else,” he promised her.

* * *

It had been several days more before Link had been deemed well enough to travel. But the royal physician had looked him over personally and declared that, so long as he did not fight, he could see the Princess Midna off.

The journey had been long, though it had not been difficult. The Gerudo Desert was several days away, even in the best of weather, even when only two traveled together. But Princess Zelda had insisted on joining them, as was her duty as ruler of Hyrule. And with the Princess came the Royal Guard, ten members clad in shining armor carrying the finest steel that could be bought.

Their escorts had at least held the decency to let them say their goodbyes in private, though it had taken some assurance on the part of Zelda that no harm would come to them within the walls of the Mirror Chamber.

Link could recall the first time he had seen the Mirror of Twilight, when it had been just a shard, loosely hanging in its frame. He remembered how the hope had seemed to leave Midna’s form. He remembered how the Sages had appeared…

_ You who are guided by fate. You who possess the Crest of the Goddesses… Hear us… _

Link watched as the portal between the Realm of Light and the Realm of Twilight opened once more.

How quickly it had all come to an end. The days spent journeying to and through the desert had seemed endless as they had passed, but now… Link would have given everything in his power to have that time returned to them. It still did not seem real that Midna would enter through that portal and not return.

He wished it were not real.

He stood in silence, watching as Midna turned to face him. 

A small smile graced her lips, and Link had wished more than anything that he would be able to remember that smile for all eternity. “Well… I guess this is farewell, then?” she asked. “Light and Shadow cannot mix, as we all know.”

But she was wrong, was she not? After all, she, a creature of Twilight, and Link, a creature of the Light, had come to grow and understand each other in ways that he had never dreamed possible. If they would learn to forge bonds, then why not the rest of the realm?

Why could they not at least try?

“But… Never forget that there is another realm tied to this one.”

How could he ever forget? He had spent months returning Hyrule to the Light. He had spent months with her at his side. He had gone to the Twilight Realm himself and returned to tell the tale.

No.

She would never be forgotten. Her realm would never be forgotten. Not by him.

It was Zelda who spoke next, her voice even and calm as if she were not speaking to the woman who had saved her life, her kingdom. As if Zelda herself had not nearly given her own life for Midna’s… “Shadow and Light are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. I know now the reason the Goddess left the Mirror of Twilight in this world. They left it because it was their design that we should meet. Yes. That is what I believe.”

The Goddesses were cruel, then, Link thought. They were cruel to bring Midna into this world only for her to be taken away…

No.

It was unfair to think in such ways. It was unfair to will Midna to stay. Midna’s home was in the Twilight. Her friends, her livelihood… Asking her to stay would be selfish, cruel… And yet part of him still wished he could.

The Goddesses were cruel for allowing them to be thrust into all of this in the first place. They were cruel for allowing Zant and Ganondorf the power they had taken and abused. They were cruel for forcing a kingdom to suffer and bleed.

“Zelda,” Midna turned to face the other woman. “Your words are kind and your heart is true. If all in Hyrule are like you, then maybe you will do all right.” 

Link watched as the woman who had been his companion turned and approached the Mirror, watched as the stairs he had once ascended so many weeks before appeared once more… It was not goodbye. That was the hope he held onto, the hope that kept him from running after her and begging her to stay or to let him join her.

He watched as she took several steps before turning to face him once more. “Thank you,” she spoke, and he smiled. He would have faced the horrors of the world for her a thousand times over if it meant she would be safe. That she would be happy. “The Princess spoke truly. As long as the mirror is around, we could meet again.”

He breathed a sigh of relief at those words. She did not wish to leave him either, not forever. The Mirror would stay in existence, and they would travel to visit one another when they could.

“Link, I…” he watched as a single tear fell from her eye. He wished nothing more than to run to her and wipe it from her face, to assure her that he would be fine. That she would be fine. That they would be happy for the rest of their days.

But her own finger had caught the tear before he could run to her, and he frowned as it seemed to move on its own accord.

“See you later.”

He watched as the tear landed in the center of the Mirror. He watched as Midna slowly disappeared from the Realm of Light. And he was half a second, merely half a second, too late to realize what the Twilight Princess had done.

He ran to the Mirror, despite Zelda’s shout for him to stay away. He could reach it in time. He could stop what Midna was attempting to do. He had to try…

The mirror had not just broken like it had with Zant.

The mirror had shattered into countless pieces that would never and could never be reassembled.

Midna was gone.

The one means by which they could ever be reunited was gone with her.

And he had never in his life felt more alone.

He fell to his knees.

And he wept.


End file.
